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A group of apprentices completing a variety of tasks in woodlands around Abergavenny are unlikely to be told, "You're fired!" by Sir Alan Sugar, for they are training to become Forest School leaders as demand for outdoor learning continues to boom.

The nine mature students are hoping to become qualified FS leaders as the Welsh Assembly Government aims to ensure every child in Wales up to reception class (almost six years old) receives education outdoors as well as in the classroom.

The policy - which will be extended to Year One pupils by September 2009 and to Year Two children by the following September - is in line with Forest School's aims of helping children to learn in a natural environment.

The apprentices - most of whom were teachers and learning support assistants - were taken through the theory of outdoor learning techniques at Mulberry House in Abergavenny before heading out into local Forestry Commission Wales woodlands to put some of the lessons into practice.

Under the watchful eye of FC Wales Education Officer Karen Clarke and three other FS trainers, the apprentices got to grips with a variety of tasks such as using tools, building shelters and lighting fires. Later in the month, they will visit Whitestone woods in Monmouthshire, where their application of outdoor learning techniques will be assessed.

Karen said, "It's a 'full circle journey' for me as I started out training to be a Forest School leader in 2006 and from this was able to gain employment as an education officer with FC Wales, and now I'm being given the opportunity to pass on the skills and knowledge that I have to other professionals.

"It's very satisfying being able to give other people the skill set to go out into the woods and use the woodland resources in a sustainable way."

Karen and the other trainers have planned a learning programme for the apprentices as part of an Open College Network forest school practitioner level 3 course. Hopefully, the apprentices - who are from Cardiff, Caerphilly, Abergavenny and Newport - will become qualified Forest School trainers early in 2009.

"Forest School lends itself perfectly to the Assembly's approach to introduce more teaching outdoors, but we simply don't have enough trainers in south Wales to meet demand," said Karen.

"There's a waiting list to do these courses, mostly among schools but also with people involved in environmental education, people working with young offenders and so on.

Hopefully, we will now be able to deliver more courses, enabling lots more people to become Forest School leaders and many more children to gain access to forest education."

NOTES TO EDITORS

Forest School is an approach in Denmark which uses the outdoors as the main learning environment for young children.

The idea was brought over to Britain by Bridgwater College in Somerset and the concept has been developed further. The learning style of each participant is identified and activities are tailored to suit the individual. Using a woodland environment, participants are encouraged and supported to grow in confidence and independence through the mastery of small achievable tasks.

For more information on Forest School in south Wales, contact Karen Clarke on 02920 886842.

Media enquiries to Forestry Commission Wales Information Officer, Clive Davies, on 0845 604 0845, mobile 07788 190922.